Science Siftings

New Zealand Tablet, 15 October 1908, Page 35

Science Sif tings

BY ~* VOLT

The Stenotyper. - In~ yet another field of _ activity* mere manual dexterity" is threatened dispossession, by mechanical ingenuity.,'- At last a machine has been devised for writing shorthand — a machine so simple that any one can master it, arid so efficient that even the highly-trained stenographer cannot lope to do more than rival it.^ "Ths stenotyper, as this wonderful contrivance is called, is in bulk and weight a mere fraction of the standard typewriter, and can readily be worked on the. operator's knees. It has just six keys, and by permutations and combinations of these six keys, taken two or three together, a complete alphabet is built up— an alphabet of dot dash, similar in kind to that of the . Morse code. The learner has simply to commit this alphabet to memory, and the machine will do the rest. With less diligence than is often devoted to the acquisition of a mere parlor game, any ordinary person should be able to write stenotypy at quite a serviceable' speed. Comets. People who .lie awake o' nights worrying as to what would happen if some fiercely flaming comet should collide with the earth some time or other 'may~ make *?h"eir minds "easy on "that* subject (remarks the Sacred Heart Review). The Rev. Martin S. Brennan, of St. Louis, the well-known authority on affairs • concerning ihe celestial bodies, declares that comets are not a menace to the earth. They are entirely charmless. He gives this comforting assurance in a letter to the Western Watchman, and says, furthermore : The matter composing comets is of extraordinary tenuity. The feeblest ray of light may traverse thousands of miles of cometary substance without perceptible diminution. As an indisputable instance of this, Professor Dawes saw a star of the tenth magnitude through the very centre of a comet on October n, 1847. Again, from the fact that., comets have no appreciable effect in perturbing the planets, even little Mercury, it -is evident that their mass must be utterly insignificant compared with the planetary masses. Wireless Telephony. v The Daily Mail's correspondent at .Paris writes :— Some astounding results with the wireless telephone were obtained the other day at the Eiffel Tower Wireless Station by Naval Lieutenants Colin and Jeance, and Chief Engineer Mercier,' who last week successfully spoke from P"aris to Dieppe. On August 8, having effected various modification in 'the instruments, they have been; using, the above-named officers endeavored to telephone by wireless from the Eiffel Tower to the Wireless Station at Pointe De Raz.'on the coast of Finistrerre, a distance of 310 miles: The trials began in the early hours of the morning, that being judged the most favorabb time. During the first hour or so, the sound of a mctor horn, the ringing of a bell, a song on" the gramophone, etc., were transmitted, and heard distinctly. 'Then voice messages were sent through, and, although they were very faint arid not always clear, several of (he, phrases transmitted were understood. It is beheved this is the first time conversation has* taken place over such a great distance. It is understood that the officers hold the opinion lhat the present experiments, which are to be continued, wil! make wireless telephony a' practical possibility within the next few months. The Use's of Rubber. The International Rubber ' Exhibition at the Olympia (writes the London- correspondent of the Irish News) will show the public to what diversified purposes the product of the rubber plant has been turned. A man who once said he .had no use for Indiarubber was asked how many rubber articled he had upon him He s<ud none. showed that he had braces, stocking suspenders, sfJtthg sides to his boots, rubber heels, a tobacco > .pouch, a pipe with a vulcanite mouthpiece,, ink eraser, rubber band round his papers, and a top of a fountain pen— total, 14 articles. -A gigantic trade with rubber is' done with these coiinT tries, the value of the imports of the raw material last year being nearly eleven millions sterling. The exhibition will show how the rubber trees grow and are tapped, and- how the" 'milk' is taken from them; and demonstrations will be given to prove that 'there is nothing like rubber.' -This will be the 'first exhibition ot an international character. The danger of a rubber famine which recently threatened the motor ~ and'bicycle - industry, has now passed- away. Rubber is more plentiful and cheaper than fc has been fof a .long time past, which accounts for the way the price of tyres has been ' cut.' i-ii ...